Engine-starter



W. H. WASHBURNE.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23. 19111 1,303,481. Patented May 13, 1919.

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w. H. WASHBUHNE.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.Z3; n91? Patented May 13, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 W. H. WASHBURNE.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23.' NHL 1,303,431 Patented May13, 1919. I 3SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W W m WILLIAM HART WASHBUBNE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ENGINE STAlRiTER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

Application filed April 23', 1917. Serial No. 163,858.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM HART WASH- BURNE,a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Engine-Starters, of Which the following is aspecification.

My invention pertains to starters for in ternal-combustion engines, suchfor example, as are commonly used in automoblles, motorboats, andsimilar appllances. Its prime object is to provide a simple, inexpensiveful attention to maintain in proper Working order. In every engine ormotor of this kind, which requires starting, there is always one or morecylindersand their pistons, in what may be called the power-cycle orstroke, although the regular ignition apparatus may have completed itsoperation or sparking for such cylinder or cylinders before the enginewas stopped. These pistons may be in quite different points of theirstrokes. One purpose of the invention is to take advantage of suchpiston or pistons for giving the engine its initial movement. This isaccomplished by injecting fuel or an ex plosive-mixture charge into allsuch power-,

cycle cylinders and igniting them by an ignition apparatus supplementalto the regular ignition device. In order to attain the maximum startingtorque or turning movement of the motor-shaft, instead of igniting theplurality of mixture charges in the powercycle cylinders when the motoris still in succession, as would ordinarily occur in the usual operationof the motor, the charges are fired simultaneously to secure thecumulative eifect and momentary greater power. A further object of theinvention is to pre pare all those cylinders which the stopped engineleft in the compression cycle with a mixture charge so that when theirpistons reach the explosive position their charges will be ignited andthe work which these istons do. will supplement that accomplished by theprevious explosions in the power-cycle cylinders. In addition totheabove, in order that those cylinders of the stopped engine whose pistonsare in the intake stroke may receive a suitable charge,

the device also injects fuel into the intake manifold. It will be clear,therefore, that all of the cylinders aresuitably cared for toimmediately take up successively the work of turning the engine shaftjust as soon as its rotation has been initiated by the simultaneousexplosions in the power-cycle cylinders; and in this way the engine isstarted effectively, efliciently, and easily.

In order that those; skilled in this art may have a full and completeunderstanding of this invention and its various advantages, I haveillustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification, preferred embodiments of the inven tion, and throughoutthe various views of these drawings, like reference characters refer tothe same parts.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the whole appliance;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section of that porltion of the apparatusfor feeding the ue i Fig. 3 shows in enlarged section one of theinjection valves of an engine-cylinder and is a section on line 3-3 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 4: shows the rotary electric contact member and is a section online 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a face view of the cooperating stationary electric contactmember, and is a section on line 5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 represents the fuel distributer for the various cylinders and isa section on line 66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a diagram of the electric connections; r

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic section through a twelve-cylinder engineequipped with the invention;

Fig. 9 shows the fuel distributer for such a motor;

Fig. 10 shows one member of the electrical contact device, and

Fig. 11 is a face view of the cooperating contact member.

For the sake of simplicity in illustration, my invention is shown in thedrawings in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, and described below, in connectionwith a four-cylinder engine, but its applicability and advantages in usewith motors of a greater or lesser number of cylinders will be obviousto those skilled in this art. It is deemed unnecessary to il1ustrate theappliance with a six, eight, or twinsix cylinder engine, except as shownin the remaining figures of the drawings.

Referring first to the appliance shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, itwill be noted that the engine 10 has-the four cylinders 11, 1'2, 13, and14, each with its customary piston 15, 16, 17, and 18, respectively, allin diifer ent phases of their strokes. As shown, the enginehas stoppedwith the cylinder 11 and its piston 15 in the power-cycle stroke, butthe ignition point or time for such cylinder passes before the enginestopped with the parts in the positions illustrated. Advantage cannot,therefore, be taken of the ordinary ignition device to fire the chargeto be injected into this cylinder, although its spark-plug maybeemployed in part for this purpose. Cylinder 13 and its piston 17 are inthe compression cycl and the piston stopped at the position shown duringits upward compressionstroke. CylinderlQ and its associated piston 16are in the intake cycle, and themovement of the piston was arrested inits downward travel during the stopping of theengine. Cylinder 14 andits contained piston 18 are in the exhaust cycle, the movement of thepiston having been stopped during its upward travel.

On the dash-board 19 of the automobile, or on any other suitablesupport, within a housing 20, a foot-lever or pedal 21 is fulcrumed at22 and is normally pressed in one direction, that is, toward the driveror operator, by a spring-pressed plunger 23 loosely connected to thelever at 24. At 25 the lever is likewise loosely connected to a rod 26slidable through a bearing 27 of a cylinder-head 28 and carrying aplunger 29 on its inner end, such plunger sliding in the cylinder 30 ofwhich the head 28 forms part. As is usual in constructions of this kind,the plunger is equipped with rings 31 to maintain a fluid-tight relationwith the inner surface of the cylinder. The opposite cylinder head 32 isshaped with a central depression 33 for the accommodation inside of thecylinder of a rotary-valve 34, such depressed portion of the head having four ports 35, 36, 37, and 38 connected by that it I alwaysregisters pipes or tubes 39, 40, 41, and 42, interior of theengine-cylinders 11, 12, 13, and 14 respectively. The rotary-valve hasan arcuate or curved port 43 of sufiicient length to communicate withtwo 35, 36, 37, and 38, at the same time. Valve 34 is mounted on asuitably-supported revoluble shaft 44 extended centrally through thecylinder-head 32, such shaft being driven from the engine crank-shaft bya sprocketwheel 45,'a cooperating sprocket-chain 46, a sprocket-wheel 47with a bearing 48, and a flexible shaft 49 of any desirable structuresecured to the free end of the valve-shaft. Valve port 43 is so mountedon the shaft with those enginecylinders whose pistons are in thepower-and compressioncycles. In the present instance by means of a 1nconnection with the corresponding with the of theports the part is shownas establishing communication between the interior of cylinder 30 andthe engine-cylinders 11 and 13.

Each pipe or tube 39, 40, 41, and 42, connected to its particularengine-cylinder check-valve 50 comprising a 51 fitted in thecylinder-wall P p 39, for instance. Member 51 has a curved portedvalve-seat 52, a curved or cup-shaped valve 53 pulled upwardly by aspring 54 fastened to its central part and secured to a cross-pin 55. Bythis means I provide an outwardly-closing valve which permits thepassage of the fuel-charge and in which the spring is adequatelyprotected from the heat of the engine.

The cylinder-wall 32 is provided with an air-inlet check-valve and abovethe cylinder I provide a tube 61 containing a reciprocatory plunger 62on a plunger-rod 63 extended through a stufling-box 64 and bearing 65 onthe underside of the top-wall of housing 20 and loosely connected at 66to the upper-end of lever 21 above its fulcrum, so that the twoassociated plungers29 and 62 will travel in opposite directions when thelever swings in one direction only. Cylinder or tube 61 intermediate itslength has a pipeconnection 67 to the intake-manifold of the engine,(not shown), such connection having a spring-pressed valve 68 openingoutwardly with respect to the tube. At one end tube 61 has a pipeconnection 69 to the gasolene supply-tank, (not shown), this connectionbeing equipped adjacent to the tube with a spring-pressed valve 70closing outwardly with respect to the tube. At the same end tube 61 hasa pipe connection 71 with the interior of cylinder 30, the pipe having aspring-pressed check-valve 72 closing outwardly with respect to cylinder30, which, of course, is inwardly relatively to tube 61. The lower endof pipe 71 has a plurality of small perforations 73 so that the liquidfuel will be sprayed into cylinder 30.

This part of the apparatus operates practically as follows:

Valve 34 by its synchronous rotation with the engine-shaft alwaysmaintains communication with those cylinders whose pistons are in theirpower and compression strokes. Tube 61 was filled with gasolene drawnthrough pipe 69 and valve 70 when the foot of the operator was lastreleased from the pedal lever, so that a charge of gasolene is alwaysavailable from such tube. To start the engine, the driver merelydepresses the pedal 21 against the action of the compression-springopposing plunger 23. This causes a simultaneous movement of plunger 29to the left and plunger 62 to the right, the latter plunger delivering aportion of the liquid fuel in tube 61 through valve 68 and pipe 67 intothe intake-manifold and sprayhollow member ing the remainder into theair in cylinder 30 through pipe 71, valve 72, and perforations 73, suchair at the same time undergoing compression by reason of the travel ofplum ger 29 and, consequently, being somewhat heated. Obviously, thisexplosive gaseous mixture is delivered through pipes 39 and 41 into thecylinders 11 and 13, whose pistons 15- and 17 are in their power andcompression cycles respectively. Of course, upon release of the pedallever air is sucked into cylinder 30 through valve 60 and a new chargeof liquid fuel is drawn into tube 61 ready for the next startingoperation. It is now necessary to explain the ignition device.

On shaft 44 an insulation contact-member 80 is fixed to revolvetherewith and carries a curved or arcuate contact 81 with a radial leg82 and a radial contact 83. Mounted on shaft 44 and slidable thereon bya plurality of arms 84, 84, supported on rods 26 and bent to extendaround cylinder 30, I provide an insulation contactanember 85 havingfour contacts 86, 87, 88 and 89, connected by wires 90 to thespark-plugs 91 of the cylinders 11, 12, 13, and 14, respectively. As isshown, these four contacts are spaced away from the axis of shaft 44 adistance equal to that of the curved contact 81. Member 85 carries alsothree concentric conducting ring contacts 92, 93, and 94, ring 92 beingin register with contact 82 and rings 93 and 94 being in alinement withthe ends of con tact 83.

An electric circuit 100 containing battery 101 and the primary 102 of atransformer has its terminals, as shown in Fig. 7, connected to thecontact rings 93 and 94, whereas a second electric circuit 103containing the secondary winding 104 of the transformer and grounded at105, has its other terminal connected to the outer ring contact 92.

Both of these circuits are normally open because the two contact members80 and 85 are ordinarily separated. At the end of the stroke the lever21, the contacts of member 85 are slid into contact with the registeringcontacts of member 80 so that contact 83 completes the primary circuit100 by enga ing rings 93 and 94 and the secondary circuit is closedthrough the spark-plug of cylinder 11 by the engagement of the duplexcontact 8182 with the terminal 86 and ring 92. This causes a spark atthe spark-plug of the power cycle cylinder 11, resulting in ignition andexplosion of its injected charge, thus starting the engine.

As soon as the operation of the motor is initiated, in this way, it iscontinued by the regular ignition apparatus of the engine, which soonafterward ignites the injected charge in cylinder 13 as soon as itscompression is completed. The injection of fuel into the intake-manifoldin the manner specified insures that cylinder 12 will have a propercharge during the remainder of the admission stroke of its piston, andsuch charge will, of course, after compression, be ignited.

It should be obvious that by thus injecting these charges and startingthe ignition by the auxiliary device, the engine is, so to speak, timedfor immediate action, the ex plosion in the power-cycle cylinderstarting the turning movement of the engine-shaft which work is at oncetaken up by the charges in the other cylinders then operating under theregular ignition apparatus of the engine.

Where the engine or motor has more than four cylinders, it is possibleto secure simul taneous explosions in a plurality of cylinders to effectthe first movement of the engine, the other cylinders being timed insubstantially the same manner as described above. By way ofillustration, I have shown in Fig. 8 a twelve-cylinder engine and forsimplicity of illustration I have indicated all the cylinders in a line.This engine comprises the twelve cylinders 100 to 111 inclusive,together with their cooperating pistons 112 to 123 inclusive. The enginehas stopped with the pistons in the positions shown in Fig. 8, thedownward movements of the pistons 112, 121, and 123, having beenarrested in their power-strokes at the angular positions shown. Theupward movements of pistons 114, 116', and 118, werearrested in thecompression strokes in the relations shown.

The downward movements of pistons 113.

and 120, and 122, were stopped during their intake strokes, the pistonsbeing in the positions illustrated. The upward scavenging strokes of thepistons 115, 117, and 119 were stopped with the pistons in the relationsindicated. It is necessary, therefore, to inject the explosive mixtureinto cylinders 100, 102, 104, 106, 109, and 111, the pistons of thecylinders 100, 109 and 111 being in the poyer stroke, whereas thepistons of the cylinders 102, 104, and 106 are in their compressionstrokes. Of course, at the same time, fuel would be injected into theintake manifold so that the pistons of cylinders 101, 108, and 110 woulddraw in charges during the remainder of their strokes. As is shown inFig. 9, the distributer valve mechanism comprises the two cooperatingparts 32 and 34, the former being stationary and the latter beingrotatable as in the part 34 of the device shown in Fig. 1. The element32 has twelve ports connected by a like number of pipes to the variouscylinders, the pipes and ports being arranged in the order shown in Fig.9. Pipe 124 communicates with cylinder 100, 126 with cylinder 102, 128with cylinder 104, 130 with cylinder 106, 132 with cylinder 108, 134with cylinder 110, 125 with cylinder 101, 127 with cylinder 103, 129with cylinder 105, 131 with cylinder 107, with cylinder 111. The rotaryvalvemember 34 is provided with a curved port 136 which at all timesestablishes communication with six of the cylinders. As shown in Figs. 8and 9the injection apparatus is in communication with cylinders .100,102, 104, 106, 109, and 111, so that upon actuation of the appliance anexplosive charge .will'not only be delivered into the intake manifold,but also into all cylinders in the powerwand compression cycles. Theinsulation electric contact member-85 has three contact rings 92, 93,and 94, as in the other construction, and itv also has twelvecontacts140 to 151 inclusive. The spark plug of cylinderlOO is connected by wire152 to contact 140; cylinder 101 by wire 153 to contact 146; cylinder 102 by'wire 154 to contact 141; cylinder 103 by wire 155 to contact 147;cylinder 104 by wire 156 to contact 142.; cylinder 105 by wire 157 tocontact 158; cylinder 106 by wire 158 to contact 143; cylinder 107 bywire 159 to contact 149; cylinder 108 by wire 160 to contact 144;cylinder 109 by Wire 161 to contact 150; cylinder 110 by starter,'thecombination of wire 162-t0 contact 145; wire 163 to contact 151. dottedlines'in Fig. 11, the arcuate cylinder 111 by As is indicated in 10 andin full lines in contact 81 is of sufficient length to cover three ofthestationary contacts and as the pistons are stopped, Fig. 8, thisportion would cover the three contacts 140, 151, and 150, thusestablishing electrical communication with the pistons of cylinders 100,1.09, and 111, the pistonsofwhich are all in the power cycle.

From this description and in the illustration, itwill be apparent thatsimultaneous explosions occur in all of the power cycle cylinders andthat the remaining cylinders are prepared "for explosion soon afterwardby the regular ignition apparatus-of the appliance.

To those skilled in this art it will be clear that many minor mechanicalchanges may be made in the structures presented'without departure fromthe substance of the invention and without the sacrifice of any of 1tssubstantial benefits and advantages.

I claim: 1. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination ofmeans to inject an explosive-charge into the engine-cyl1nder whosepiston is-in the power-cycle and into the engine-cylinder whose pistonis 1n the compression-cycle, and means supplemental to and constructedto operate later than the regular ignition deviceof the engine toexplode said charge in the power cycle cylinder, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an internal combustion-engine means to inject an explosive-chargeinto all of the enginecylinders whose pistons are in the power- 133 withcylinder 109, and 185 cycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whosepistons are in the compression-cycle, and means supplemental to andconstructed to operate later than the regular ignitiondevice of engineto explode all of said charges in the power-cycle cylinders,substantially as described.

3. In an internalcombustion -engine starter, the combination of means toinject an explosive-charge into all of the engine cylinders whosepistons are in the powercycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whosepistons are in the compression-eye]e, and means supplemental to andconstructed to operate later than the regular ignition device of theengine to simultaneously explode all of said charges in the power-cyclecylinders, substantially as described.

4. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means toinject an explosive-charge into the engine-cylinder whose piston is theengine-cylinder whose piston is in the compression-cycle, means toinject fuel into tlre intake manifold of the engine, and meanssupplemental to and constructed to operate later than the regularignition de vice of the engine to explode said charge in the power-cyclecylinder, substantially as described. I

5. In an internal-combustion-enginc starter, the combination of means toinject an explosive charge into all of the engine cylinders whosepistons are in the powercycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whosepistons are in the compression-cycle, means to inject fuel into theintake manifold of the engine, and means supplemental to and constructedto operate later than the regular ignition device of the engine toexplode all of said charges in the power-cycle cylinders, substantiallyas described.

6. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means toinject an explosive charge into the engine-cylinder whose piston is inthe power-cycle and into the engine-cylinder whose piston is in thecompression-cycle, and means to inject fuel into the intake manifold ofthe engine substantially simultaneously with the injection of theexplosive charges into the cylinders, and means supplemental to andconstructed to operate later than the regular ignition device of theengine to explode said charge in'the power-cycle cylinder, substantiallyas described.

In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means toinject an explosive charge into all of the enginecylinders whose pistonsare in the powercycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whose pistonsare in the compression-cycle, means to inject fuel into the intakemanifold of the engine substantially simultaneously with the injectionof the explosive in the power-cycle and into charges into the cylinders,and means supplemental to and constructed to operate later than theregular ignition device of the engine to simultaneously explode all ofsaid charges in the power-cycle cylinders, substantially as described.

8. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means toinject an explosive-charge into the engine-cylinder Whose piston is inthe power-cycle and into the engine-cylinder Whose piston is in thecompression-cycle, means supplemental to the regular ignition-device ofthe engine to explode said charge in the power-cycle cylinder, and asingle common operating-means for said injection and ignition means, substantially as described.

9. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of means toinject an explosive charge into all of the enginecylinders whose pistonsare in the powercycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whose pistonsare in the compression-cycle, means supplemental to the regularignitiondevice of the engine to explode all of said charges in thepower-cycle cylinders, and a single common operating-means for saidinjection and ignition means, substantially as described.

10. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of meansto inject an explosive charge into all of the enginecylinders whosepistons are in the powercycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whosepistons are in the compression cycle,

topics of this patent may be obtained for means supplemental to theregular ignition device of the engine to simultaneously explode all ofsaid charges in the power-cycle cylinders, and a single operating-meanscommon to said injection and ignition means, substantially as described.

11. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of meansto inject an explosive charge into the engine-cylinder whose piston isin the power-cycle and into the engine-cylinder whose piston is in thecompression-cycle, means to inject fuel into the intake-manifold, meanssupplemental t0 the regular ignition device of the engine to explodesaid charge in the power-cycle cylinder, and a single operating-meanscommon to said charge injection, fuel injection, and ignition,substantially as described.

12. In an internal combustion engine starter, the combination of-meansto inject an explosive charge into all of the enginecylinders whosepistons are in the powercycle and into all of the engine-cylinders whosepistons are in the compression-cycle, means to inject fuel into theengine intakemanifold substantially simultaneously with the injection ofsaid explosive charges into said cylinders, means supplemental to theregular ignition device of the engine to simultaneously explode all ofsaid charges in the power-cycle cylinders, and a single operating-meanscommon to said charge injection, fuel injection, and ignition,substantially as described.

WILLIAM HART WASHBURNE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of intents,

Washington, D. 0."

